Venting device



(No Model.)

G.-W. BANKER.

VBNTING DEVICE. I No. 577,410. Patented Feb. 23, 1897'.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE WV. BANKER, OF AU SABLEFORKS, NEW YORK.

VENTING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 577,410, dated February 23, 1897. Application filed May 13, 1896- Serial No. 591,327. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. BANKER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Au Sable Forks, in the county of Essex and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Venting Device, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and improved device for venting demijohns, carboys, cans, and similar vessels.

Many valuable and in some cases dangerous liquids are put up for the market in bottles, demijohns, carboys, metallic cans, and like receptacles. In emptying such vessels the liquid usually fills the delivery-spout or mouth thereof and thus tends by its outflowing to create a vacuum within the vessel, which can only be relieved by the periodical passage of a bubble of air from the outside through the mouth to the inside of the yes sel, thus interfering with the flow of the liquid andcausing its delivery in a very uneven stream, so that unless the receptacle or funnel into which the liquid is being poured is quite large spilling of it is almost inevitable, which not only occasions loss of the liquid and damage to surrounding objects, but also,

in the case of acids and other chemical liquids,is attended with more orless danger of accident. Various devices have heretofore been invented to obviate this difficulty. Among them, and perhaps the only practically useful detachable device, are the so-called vented faucets, which, although they accomplish the object quite well, are open to the following serious objections: They are quite eX- pensive and complicated in structure and can only be applied to vessels the mouth or opening'of which is of the right sizeto fit them,

and inasmuch as different manufacturers ship their goods in vessels the mouths of which differ in size and shape it is obvious that a dealer in such goods, as well as the users, must be in possession of a large number of vented faucets'of differing sizes, and in addition to the foregoing objections there are the more serious ones that they are difficult to clean and keep in operative condition because of their relatively complicated construction, and also it is impossible toempty a vessel quickly by their use, because the major part of the mouth of the vessel is occupied or filled with the cork or other packing necessarily used to make a tight joint with the mouth of the vessel and with the metal tube which supports the packing. Consequently the delivery of the liquid is necessarily slow;

By my invention I provide an inexpensive, simple, and effective device which is adapted to use upon any kind of vessel having an opening or mouth of any size, and it may be used in conjunction with any kind of liquid.

In the drawings hereof, Figure 1 illustrates an elevation of a demijohn embodying one form of my invention. Fig. 2 illustrates an elevation of a slightly-modified construction. Fig. 3 illustrates an elevation of a conicaltopped tin can with the invention applied thereto. Fig. 4 illustrates a flat-topped tin can with the invention applied thereto. Fig. 5 illustrates in elevation a view of the venting device detached from the can and enlarged. Fig. 6 illustrates the venting device when made of fragile material, and shows means whereby it may be strengthened at the place where fracture is most liable to occur. A in all the figures represents a demijohn, bottle, carboy, metallic can, or other suitable vessel. I'have not attempted to show the exact outline of these vessels, because they vary greatly, and their particular character or shape forms no part of this invention.

The venting device is composed of a rigid or substantially rigid tube B, so that it will maintain its proper position within the vessel. It is preferably curved or bent in such manner as desired to adapt it to be properly used in connection with vessels of difierent sizes and shapes. Ordinarily when curved substantially as shown in Fig. 5 it will fit vessels of all sizes and shapes; but sometimes, as, forinstance, when the vessel is a fiat-topped can, such as shown in Fig. 4, it is desirable to bend the tube somewhat sharply, as shown at 0, so that it may when in position lie close to the upper surface of the can, so as to be out of the liquid when the can is tilted.

D is an elastic spring-like structure which is soldered or otherwise attached to the upper will engage with spring-pressure against the outside of the neck, the venting-tube being on the inside, and thus hold the tube in position. I prefer to make this tube-holding device from relatively stiff spring-Wire, as clearly seen in Fig. 5,because if so constructed the two ends of the wire which are attached to the tube may be attached separately upon opposite sides of the tube, thus securingfirm attachment, and when placed in position upon the neck of the vessel the two sides of the wire loop, as seenat E E,engage with the cylindrical sidesof the neck and clasp it between them, so to speak, furnishing support at two points. Instead of a wire, however, a flat piece of spring metal suitably bent into shape may be employed, or any other suitably-constructed device, so long as it bears the stated relation between the tube andthe mouth or neck of the vessel, whereby the former is supported.

Thetubes may be made of metal, rubber, celluloid, glass, or any other suitable material; but when the vessels contain acids or like corrosive liquids I prefer to make the tubes of material such as glass, which will not be injuriously acted upon by-them, and inasmuch asthe spring-holdin g device D cannotbe soldereditoglass and other means of attaching it would be inconvenient I employ the device shown in Figs. 2 and'6, in which theltube B is bent upon itself, as at F, so that arpartof it, G, lieson the outside of the mock of the vessel parallel with a portion of; the "tube-which is on the inside, and since;

there is no elasticityin this bent-over end of the glass in order to supply adevice whereby it may be held in operative position I pass -over=the end of the tube a disk, preferably of rubber, cork, or similarmaterial, (shown at 'H in Fig. 2;) in which I make ahole I eccentric to itscenter. 'lhroughthis hole the tube BLPELSSGS, audit will *be observed that when the tube is-in proper position by simply turning the disk .itsarc of greater projection will take a bearingagainst the outsideof the neck of-the'bottle and will-hold thetubein proper position. This action will be aided if the disk be madeof eork,rubber, or other elastic material. Gonsequently, duecare being observed, :there is nodanger of a degree of pressure being exerted which will fracture the tube.

In order'to strengthenlthe tube at the curved part,t(-marked F,) where fractureis most likely ?to occur, I reinforce it by anexternalwrapping '5, which should be of material not aifeoted by the acids or chem'icals contained inthe vessel. I sometimesuse an acid-proof more than one rubber sleeve or covering, because it not only strengthens the curved part of the tube but relieves it from shock in the event of its being pushed down quickly, so as to strike the upper edge of the mouth of the vessel. \Vrapping with suitably-treated cord or woven material may, however, be substituted for the rubber, and also any suitable rigid covering, such as vulcabeston or other acid-proof cement, soluble glass preparations, &c., maybe used.

In order to prevent the clamping-disk H from dropping off from the end of the venttube B, I sometimes slightly enlarge that end of the tube, as shown at K, Figs. 2 and 6.

The operation of the device is obvious. IVhen it is desired to empty the vessel, the cork or stopper is removed andithen my venting-tubeis introduced at one side of-the mouth or opening, and being. adjusted, as described, is held in position by the clamping device. Now upon tiltingthe vessel in such :manner that the vent-tube comes uponthe :upper side the liquid will flow out =in :an even, steady, smooth stream, it being impossible to form any vacuum within the vessel beeauseithe external air passes through the tube to the inside of the vessel as the liquid flows-out, and

.if any of the liquid should get into the tube the pressure of theexternalatmosphere will, as soon as any tendency to form avacuum has arisen, immediately expel such liquid back again into the interior ofthe vessel.

I do not limitniyself to the special'details of construction shownanddescribed,rbecause it is evident that modifications 'may 'bemade therein without departing fronrthe essentials of the invention.

1 claim-- 1. A detachable ventingdeviceeomprising a substantially rigid tube adapted :to enter the vessel, and a spring-holding device attached ator near the outer end thereof, adaptedto engage with the exterior-oftheneck of the vessel, for the purposes set forth.

2. A detachable ventingdeviee, comprising a substantially rigidtu'be bent tO-GOHfOUDldZO the shape of theinterior of theyessel, in conjunction with which it is to be used and a spring-holding device attached at-or near the outer endthereof,adaptedto engage-withthe exterior of the neek-of the VGSS6l,fOl'hll8 purposes set forth.

3. A detachable ventingdevice'comprising a substantially rigid tube, and aspringlholding device attached at or near the outer-end thereof, constructed and arranged to engage with the exterior of itheneekof the vessel-at point for the purposes set forth.

4. A detachable venting device comprising a substantially-rigid tube bent upon itself,

so that when in operativeposition, it will be partly inside and partly outside of the :neck of the vessel, and a rotarydisk-eccentrically connected with said tube, for the purposes set forth.

5. A detachable Venting device comprising a substantially rigid tube bent upon itself, so that when in operative position, a portion of it is inside and a portion outside of the neck of the Vessel, means attached to the tube, and adapted to engage the exterior of the neck of the vessel, and reinforcing or strengthening material located at the curve in the tube, for IO the purposes set forth.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 9th day of May, A. D. 1896.

GEO. W. BANKER.

Witnesses:

PHILLIPS ABBOTT, E. SIMPsoN. 

